Barrie McKay reveals the Hearts message from Steven Naismith that's helping Tynecastle injury recoveries

The Hearts winger is back in the fold after injury.

Hearts star Barrie McKay

Barrie McKay insists Steven Naismith’s patient Hearts messaging is aiding injured stars in their recovery.

The winger has made his comeback from a knee injury sustained in December against Hibs, having already missed most of the first half of this term with a PCL blow. But there have been no demands put forward by Naismith over an instant return.

Craig Halkett, Peter Haring and Liam Boyce have been in the same boat as McKay this season, and the 29-year-old insists the head coach approach has been a big help. He said: “It makes a difference. You can have some managers that will want to push it, and some that don’t need you and they don’t want to, but I think Naisy’s been really good.

“He’s not put any pressure on that. I think it really helps when the team is doing well, you probably don’t need that pressure of trying to rush anybody back fit. He’s been good with me.

“He’s just said like ‘Take your time, it’s even when when you come back it’s going to take time to get back to what you were’ and just take it from there really and keep building it up.

“I’ve not really been injured wherever I’ve been so I’ve been lucky in that sense that I’ve never been under that but there probably is players that have had that. But I think probably every player plays through a niggle or you’re probably hardly ever at 100%, but that’s just football.”

“He’s been good. It’s probably been different for me this season just with being injured but like I’ve said he’s been good with me. We’ve had lots of chats and it’s hard when you’re injured and can’t help. But I think to do what he’s done this season is a credit to him.”

Naismith has praised McKay’s approach to his second comeback from a knee blow this season. The boss admitted it would have left him deflated but his current star insists it only made him work harder.

He said: “I just didn't want to be injured. I had people like Halks and Boycie who don't let you think like that. You have targets in your head for when you want to be back and keep pushing for. My aim was to be back this season and thankfully

“I've done that. It's taken a while, but we just had to tick every box and maybe take that wee bit longer. The international break probably came at a good time because it gave me an extra two weeks and a chance to get some minutes in a bounce game.

“It was just as difficult, but I probably worked even harder. It was just unfortunate really, more than anything. There's nothing I don;t think could have prevented it. It was an unfortunate fall and you just have to get your head round that more than anything.

“It’s been a difficult season for me but hopefully one that I'm out the other side of now and can just kick on. Coming back from injury, you want to show your worth, come back and help the team."

With third almost secure and European group stage football a real possibility next season, McKay insists that’s a big motivator. He added: “I think that’s what most players will come here for is to play in Europe and obviously last year we probably fell a wee bit short with the qualifying and stuff.

“But no, it’s a real motivation for everybody, everybody wants to play in they sort of games and test yourself against the best players and I’m no different really. I had a chance at it two seasons ago when we done it, and hopefully I can do it again.”